Welcome to "Stay Strong" - a site devoted to sharing and inspiring "Strength" in others and in ourselves! Strength of Spirit, Strength of Mind, Strength of Soul and Strength of Body! PLEASE pass this site onto others in need of Strength and Inspiration!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Ask A lot of times, it's easy to think that we're not supposed to ask for too much, but the Scripture encourages us to go to God with all of our needs.

He longs to give you the desires of your heart and pour out His favor and blessing on you.

In fact, Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."

Step out in faith and ask for God's favor, blessing and increase.

Begin your prayers by surrendering every thought and attitude to the Father.

Ask Him to purify your motives and show you if there is any unforgiveness in your life that would block your prayers.

Remember, He desires good things for you, and you can trust Him.

Step out and ASK and watch what He will do!

A Prayer for Today "Father, I humbly come to You and surrender all that I am. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me. Show me Your goodness and love and position me to be a greater blessing to others in Jesus' name. Amen."

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." —1 THESSALONIANS 5: 8

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain." —HEBREWS 6: 18–19

Sunday, July 26, 2015

In this day and age, we are equipped with so many wonderful resources in the natural: technology, education, abilities. It's easy to rely on our own natural strength for so many things.

We have to remember that this natural world is only temporary, but the spiritual realm is eternal.

We aren't limited to the earth's resources; we have unlimited spiritual resources by the Spirit of God.

There are some things in life that can't happen by human thinking and reasoning.

There are things that won't be solved by natural power and might.

But God is not limited by the resources of this world.

When you open the door of faith in your heart, God will move through you in powerful ways by His Spirit.

By His Spirit, you can overcome temptation.

By His Spirit, you can receive healing.

By His Spirit, you can fulfill every dream and desire in your heart.

No matter what challenges or obstacles you may be facing today, know that you can live in complete victory by His Spirit!

A Prayer for Today "Father in heaven, thank You for giving me access to all of Your spiritual blessings. I choose to rely on You and trust that You are working in my life. I praise and bless You, knowing that You are leading me in victory in every area of my life in Jesus' name". Amen.

Friday, July 24, 2015

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair...He set my feet on solid ground...He has given me a new song to sing..." (Psalm 40:1–3, NLT)

He Lifts You Up Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair?

Just like God lifted David out, God is going to lift you out.

Where you are right now is not where you're going to stay.

There are brighter days up ahead for you filled with favor, promotion and increase.

As you walk uprightly before Him, no good thing will He withhold from you.

Notice that God gives us a new song, but we have to do our part to sing that song.

That means you don't go around talking about your problems, how bad things are, or how you're never going to make it.

No, you have a song of victory!

If somebody asks you how you're doing, your attitude should be, "I'm too blessed to be stressed!

I'm moving forward in strength and power."

Remember, praise precedes the victory, and the Bible tells us that God is enthroned on our praises.

As you magnify and lift Him up, He will lift you up out of your despair.

He'll set your feet on solid ground, and you'll move forward in joy and victory in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today "Father, thank You for lifting me up to higher places. Thank You for putting a new song in my heart. I choose to sing and be grateful today for the life of blessing You have in store for me in Jesus' name! Amen!

When you lean on Me for support, I delight in your trusting confidence.

Many people turn away from Me when they are exhausted.

They associate Me with duty and diligence, so they try to hide from My Presence when they need a break from work.

How this saddens Me!

As I spoke through My prophet Isaiah: In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.!

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding." —PROVERBS 3: 5 AMP

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not." —ISAIAH 30: 15 AMP

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin.

Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly.

Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows.

Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel.

If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.

Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn't there.

Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of fear: a monstrous mutation.

Bring your anxieties out into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together.

Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

Stay Strong!

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." —EPHESIANS 6: 16

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." —1 JOHN 1: 5–7

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." —ISAIAH 12: 2

As you slide down those slippery walls, you are well on your way to depression, and the darkness is profound.

Your only hope is to look up and see the Light of My Presence shining down on you.

Though the Light looks dim from your perspective, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach you at any depth.

While you focus on Me in trust, you rise ever so slowly out of the abyss of despair.

Finally, you can reach up and grasp My hand.

I will pull you out into the Light again.

I will gently cleanse you, washing off the clinging mire.

I will cover you with My righteousness and walk with you down the path of Life.

Stay Strong!

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD." —PSALM 40: 2–3

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence." —PSALM 42: 5 NASB

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love." —PSALM 147: 11

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

I divided time into days and nights, so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle.

My grace is sufficient for you, but its sufficiency is for only one day at a time.

When you worry about the future, you heap day upon day of troubles onto your flimsy frame.

You stagger under this heavy load, which I never intended you to carry.

Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust.

Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in your brain, but trusting Me brings you directly into My Presence.

As you thus affirm your faith, shackles of worry fall off instantly.

Enjoy My Presence continually by trusting Me at all times.

"Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." —MATTHEW 6: 34

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. —2 CORINTHIANS 12: 9

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. —PSALM 62: 8 NKJV

Monday, July 13, 2015

To paraphrase George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess,", it's summertime, but for many, the living ISN'T easy.

I say this because every day at Graymoor we receive many requests for prayers from all over the world, people who have logged onto our website asking the friars to remember their petitions in our Masses, prayers and novenas.

Some are sad and heartbroken over failed relationships, loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or a serious illness of a child.

Every day, we carefully and faithfully bring these prayer requests to the altar here at Graymoor.

St. Paul tells us in Second Corinthians about some of his problems.

He does not go into much detail, only to say that he could not stand it any longer.

He tells us, "I prayed urgently to the Lord asking him to help me, to take this thing away. And the answer was always the same ... My grace is good enough, for my power is perfected in weakness."

Whatever Paul's problem was, it was not removed by God, but he was given the STRENGTH to bear it.

I am sure most of us know what that is like, praying your heart out, asking, pleading for something and nothing happens.

And slowly we come to realize, like Paul, that Jesus went through the same thing.

He also prayed to his father, "Let this cup pass from me."

We do not always get what we ask for, but God will always give us what we NEED.

All of us at some time in life will carry a Cross; how you carry it is important.

Where is your Cross?

Where do you really hurt right now?

Only you know.

That is where Jesus is at work.

Don't run from it because then you run from Jesus who wants to meet you there.

In the words of a poet, "Where sorrow is, there is holy ground, and how else but through broken hearts may the Lord enter in."

Never try to go it alone.

Turn to the one who carried the Cross, and who told us, "Fear not, I am with you until the end of the world."

Friday, July 10, 2015

Do not bring performance pressures into our sacred space of communion.

When you are with someone you trust completely, you feel free to be yourself.

This is one of the joys of true friendship.

Though I am Lord of lords and King of kings, I also desire to be your intimate Friend.

When you are tense or pretentious in our relationship, I feel hurt.

I know the worst about you, but I also see the best in you.

I long for you to trust Me enough to be fully yourself with Me.

When you are real with Me, I am able to bring out the best in you: the very gifts I have planted in your soul.

Relax, and enjoy our friendship.

Stay Strong!

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." —REVELATION 17: 14

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." —JOHN 15: 13–15

"And that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. —DEUTERONOMY 30: 20

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —ROMANS 12:

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Ask

A lot of times, it's easy to think that we're not supposed to ask for too much, but the Scripture encourages us to go to God with all of our needs.

He tells us to ask, and He longs to give you the desires of your heart.

In fact, Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."

When you step out and ask, it pleases Him and shows that your faith and trust are in Him.

Remember, when you pray, make sure there isn't anything in your heart that would block your faith.

Begin your prayers by surrendering every thought and attitude to the Lord.

Ask Him to purify your motives and show you if there is any unforgiveness in your life.

When you release those things to the Lord, it opens the door for Him to move mightily on your behalf!

A Prayer for Today "Father, I humbly come to You and surrender all that I am. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me so that I can be a greater blessing to others and walk in all of Your ways in Jesus' name. Amen."

Monday, July 6, 2015

DRAW NEAR TO ME with a Thankful heart, aware that your cup is overflowing with blessings.

Gratitude enables you to perceive Me more clearly and to rejoice in our Love-relationship.

Nothing can separate you from My loving Presence!

That is the basis of your security.

Whenever you start to feel anxious, remind yourself that your security rests in Me alone, and I am totally trustworthy.

You will never be in control of your life circumstances, but you can relax and trust in My control.

Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle, seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth.

I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways.

I am always doing something new within My beloved ones.

Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.

"Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." —ROMANS 8: 38–39

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" —PSALM 56: 3–4

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." —ISAIAH 43: 19

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Paul said, "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"(Phil. 4:6).

This teaching tells us how to pray with gratitude.

The Greek terms Paul used refer to specific petitions made to God in the midst of difficulty.

Instead of praying to God with feelings of doubt, discouragement, or discontent, we are to approach Him with a thankful attitude before we utter even one word.

We can do that with sincerity when we realize that God promises not to allow anything to happen to us that will be too much for us to bear (1 Cor. 10:13), to work out everything for our good in the end (Rom. 8:28), and to "perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish"us in the midst of our suffering (1 Peter 5:10).

These are key principles for living the Christian life.

Go beyond memorizing them to letting them be the grid through which you automatically interpret all that happens to you.

Know that all your difficulties are within God's purpose, and thank Him for His available power and promises.

Being thankful will release you from fear and worry.

It is a tangible demonstration of trusting your situation to God's sovereign control.

And it is easy to do, since there are so many blessings to be thankful for: knowing that God will supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19), that He stays closely in touch with our lives (Ps. 139:3), that He cares about us (1 Peter 5:7), that all power belongs to Him (Ps. 62:11), that He is making us more and more like Christ (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6), and that no detail escapes Him (Ps. 147:5).

The peace of God will help us be stable if we react to our circumstances, however unusual or ordinary, with thankful prayer instead of anxiety.

That's the promise of Philippians 4:7: "The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Friday, July 3, 2015

As you spend time "soaking"in My Presence, you are energized and lightened.

Through communing with Me, you transfer your heavy burdens to My strong shoulders.

By gazing at Me, you gain My perspective on your life.

This time alone with Me is essential for unscrambling your thoughts and smoothing out the day before you.

Be willing to fight for this precious time with Me.

Opposition comes in many forms: your own desire to linger in bed; the evil one's determination to distract you from Me; the pressure of family, friends, and your own inner critic to spend your time more productively.

As you grow in your desire to please Me above all else, you gain strength to resist these opponents.

Get your STAY STRONG T-SHIRT!!

These ten great inspirational sayings about life come from diverse cultures and times. These sayings of inspiration represent the thread of enlightenment and compassion that has always run through the greatest among us, and are, to me, the best of the best.

This above all, to thine own self be true.- William Shakespeare

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.- Confucius

Happiness depends upon ourselves.- Aristotle

A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.- Lao Tsu

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

All things share the same breath - the beast, the tree, the man... the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports.- Chief Seattle

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.- Rabindranath Tagore

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.- St Francis of Assisi

There are no facts, only interpretations.- Friedrich Nietzsche

There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.- Albert Einstein

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.- George Bernard Shaw

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.- Joseph Campbell

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.- Joseph Campbell

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.- Helen Keller

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.- Helen Keller

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.- Helen Keller

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. - Anonymous

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.- Confucius

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.- Marie Curie

Life is a long lesson in humility.- James M. Barrie

Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.- William James

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.- John Lennon

No one knows what he can do until he tries.- Publilius Syrus

As we light a path for others, we naturally light our own way.- Mary Anne Radmacher

There are no facts, only interpretations.- Friedrich Nietzsche

The purpose of our lives is to be happy.- Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.- Rabindranath Tagore

To go against the dominant thinking of your friends, of most of the people you see every day, is perhaps the most difficult act of heroism you can perform.- Theodore H. White

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass... It's about learning how to dance in the rain.- Vivian Green

I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for that part of me you bring out.- Roy Croft

I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the Spirit.- Kahlil Gibran

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Where there is great love there are always miracles.- Willa Cather

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love.- St. Francis of Assisi